4th Line Theatre Announces Artists Participating In 2022 Interdisciplinary Residency Program

4th Line Theatre has announced the artists participating in their first ever interdisciplinary residency program for regional artists.

Photos courtesy of 4th Line Theatre.

Five residencies, which will provide opportunities for artists, based in or who are, from Millbrook, Peterborough, Lakefield, Port Hope, Cobourg and the surrounding environs, to develop a new work.

The artists participating in the program will be Madeline Brown, Laurin Isiekwena, Simon Mazziotti, Madison Sheward and Kate Suhr.

The 2022 Interdisciplinary Residency Program will foster artistic development and engagement between 4th Line Theatre, local artists and community members in theatre, music theatre, dance and poetry.

“In our continuing effort to give regional artists opportunities to explore and create new work, we have developed these longer form residencies for just that purpose.”

Laurin Isiekwena will be creating new works of poetry. Madeleine Brown will be working on a piece of theatre about the student fight to keep Peterborough Collegiate from being permanently closed. Kate Suhr will be working in a play with music about the inherited family trauma of addiction. Madison Sheward and Simon Mazziotti will both be developing new choreographic works.

The residencies will begin in February 2022. They will feature a hybrid (digital and live) presentation in October 2022. The presentation will showcase a performance from each of the resident artists.

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Buckhorn Community Centre To Host 40th Annual Craft Show In Person

After nearly two years of cancelled or virtual events the Buckhorn Community Centre (BCC) will host their Spring Craft Show May 21 and 22.

Photo courtesy of The Buckhorn Community Centre.

The show will take place at the Buckhorn Community Centre, assuming that COVID-19 restrictions will allow in-person events at that time.

The craft show will feature local makers and artisans from the Peterborough and Kawartha area. They will not allow resale or membership vendors.

“We are so excited to be back in person for the 40th annual Buckhorn Spring Craft Show,” said Jocelynn Vieira, coordinator.

Tickets will be on sale at the BCC in April.

To apply to be a vendor click here.

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Public Energy Makes A Return To Market Hall With In-Person Shows Beginning February 17

Public Energy Performing Arts is coming back to the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre for in person shows beginning on Feb. 17.

Melika Dez Photography.

After a 23-month period in which Public Energy presented just two events in their busiest venue, they are back with three major presentations over three months.

From Feb. 17 to April. 20 audiences will be able to enjoy cutting edge artists from across Canada with works of dance, theatre and interdisciplinary performance.

Being aware that this is a time of particular financial difficulty for many, and with a goal of eliminating cost as a barrier to attending the performing arts, Public Energy is instituting a pick-your-own-price policy for these three events.

Audiences can pick a price according to their ability to pay, starting at $5 and going up to $30. Tickets available through the Market Hall website: markethall.org or by email to admin@publicenergy.ca or phone 705-745-1788.

On February 17 and 18 is the urban dance company Ebnflōh from Montreal, the hotbed of Canadian dance.

The second show in Public Energy’s Market Hall season is the hard-hitting OUFF from Montreal transdisciplinary artist Alexis O'Hara on March 24. Tackling themes of white privilege, late capitalism and perimenopause with humour and a disconcerting honesty.

The final show in Public Energy’s Market Hall season is Deafy by Edmonton actor and playwright Chris Dodd, being presented April 19 and 20. Deafy is a poignant and humorous storytelling piece blending ASL, the spoken word and surtitles which reflects on the experience of what it is like to be a Deaf person in a hearing world.

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ReFrame Film Festival Announces Schedule For Upcoming Virtual Festival

The ReFrame Film Festival announced over a dozen Live Events and pre-recorded talks, on Tuesday.

Michi Saagiig Nishnaabe musician, artist and writer Ansley Simpson created the soundtrack for Talaga's film, and joins Opening Night with a special musical performance. Photo courtesy of ReFrame Film Festival.

The second virtual edition of the festival features over 70 documentary films and an extensive list of Q&As and live events with filmmakers from around the world.

The festival is running from Jan 27 - Feb. 4.

ReFrame’s Opening Night event Thursday at 7 p.m. includes a keynote address by celebrated journalist Tanya Talaga and a performance by musician Ansley Simspon, who created the soundtrack for Talaga’s film Mashkawi-Manidoo Bimaadiziwin: Spirit to Soar. This event is free and open to the public.

On Saturday at 2 p.m. Mars Pendleton will be in conversation with their parent, celebrated author Karleen Pendleton Jiménez to discuss their film My Life With Rainbows, which is part of the shorts program, “The Kids Are Alright: Queer Families Talk Back.”

Local, award-winning filmmaker James Cullingham will take part in a live panel discussion Sunday at 2 p.m. to talk about his powerful film, The Cost of Freedom: Refugee Journalists in Canada. James will be joined by the journalists in the film: Abdulrahman Matar, Arzu Yildiz Arzu, and Luis Horacio Nájera.

The full lineup of events and pre-recorded talks can be found at reframefilmfestival.ca. Virtual Festival Passes, Festival 5-packs, and Pay-What-You-Can tickets for single films are available now.

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Local Photographer Recreates A Favourite Peterborough Pastime With Lego People

Peterborough photographer Mark Craighead has become a hit on social media with his action figure portraits.

Photo by Mark L. Craighead Photography.

“I stole my dads old film camera when I was in highschool - with his blessing ofcourse - I guess photography has been in my blood forever,” said Craighead.

What started off as creating a Christmas gift for a friend quickly turned into over 20 years of photographing action figures and displaying them at local art shows.

“With the action figures I try to create a false perspective to make them look like portraits of real people,” he said. “When I made that first portrait for my friend so long ago it just sparked something for me, I love it.”

On Wednesday Craighead took to his social media to post about his experience in making these creations.

In the post he mentioned that he was planning on applying to a local art festival, but ultimately decided not to.

‘I was about half way through it, and I sat back and thought, 'do I really want to do this?'. Did I really want to jump through all the hoops again, and tell them, in so many words or less, why I, as an artist, deserve their funding, and therefore their acceptance and approval?’ he wrote in the post. '‘ It feels like a judgement on your worth as an artist, and as an artist who creates by pouring your whole self into the work, it feels, by extension, like a judgement on your worth as a person.’

After he decided to give up on the application process he posted a picture of his latest creation to his Facebook page and went to bed.

The next day his image had been shared to the East City Ptbo Facebook page, as well on PTBOCanada’s social platforms.

“It was really refreshing. Going through the process of applying for shows is very taxing,” he said. “When you’re trying to justify yourself and how your art is art, that it’s deserving of funding or some ones studio space, it’s really challenging and it can be exhausting, especially during these times.”

Craighead noted that had he completely given up and not posted that image, he would not have been able to see the many positive reactions from the community. While he doesn’t create art to generate ‘Likes’ on social media, being accepted and celebrated by Peterborough

Craigheads action figure shots and other photography can be viewed on his website. He has prints and other products available for sale on Redbubble.com, he is also currently doing a Valentines day promotion, valid until Feb. 1. Orders can be made through his website.

Mark L. Craighead Photography also does family portraits, headshots, event photography and product shoots.

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2022 SPARK Photo Festival Puts Call Out For Photographers

The 2022 SPARK Photo Festival has put a call out to photographers wishing to apply to participate.

Photo courtesy of SPARK Photo Festival.

The festival will run Apr. 1 - 30.

Registration for Open Call Exhibits and entries for the Themed Juried Exhibit “Monochrome” close in just a few weeks.

Photographers of any skill level and any style are welcome to create an exhibit. Exhibit as an individual, small group (2 to 5 people), a group (6 or more) or as a community group. Special registration rates are available for students and community groups.

Those interested are encouraged to find their own venue, or get in touch with SPARK for assistance. Any location that’s accessible to the public in Peterborough city and county, in City of Kawartha Lakes and in Northumberland County can be a SPARK venue. Participants prepare their images and their exhibit. First-time exhibitors, students, seasoned professionals and anyone in between are invited to learn more and register online by Feb. 7.

SPARK provides guidance and promotional material to participants.

For the audience-favourite Themed Juried Exhibit all submissions will be judged by a jury of three photography professionals. The top 25 images will be exhibited in a prominent Peterborough location throughout the month of April. The top images will be awarded cash prizes. Each photographer is eligible to enter up to 3 images and the competition is open to any Ontario resident. Entries are accepted until Feb. 1. All details and online entry are on the SPARK website.

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4th Line Theatre Digital Festival Of Light And Dark Program Has Been Announced

4th Line Theatre has announced the programming for the second annual Digital Festival of Light and Dark, on Monday.

MOSUN FADARE IN 4TH LINE THEATRE'S 2018 PRODUCTION OF BEVERLEY COOPER'S THE OTHER: A STRANGE CHRISTMAS TALE DIRECTED BY KIM BLACKWELL. PHOTO BY WAYNE EARDLEY - BROOKSIDE STUDIO.

The Festival has provided 10 regional artists with micro-grants to create five-minute digital showcases of their work, and will launch on Jan. 24.

The Festival enables audiences to engage with the artists’ creations from the safety of their own homes, through 4th Line’s digital gallery. The Festival is free of charge to watch.

“We wanted to support local artists. That was the genesis for the idea which ultimately became the Festival of Light and Dark,” said Kim Blackwell, managing artistic director. “These short, digital pieces will be a chance for 4th Line audiences to explore the nature of light and dark through the work of regional artists.”

The projects encompass a myriad of artistic styles from experimental music to abstract painting to short film and more. The topics and issues explored include the synesthetic experience of nature; fear of the dark; and finding the light within during the darkest times.

In ‘Letters in Me’, an Adaptation by Nadia Affolter Lee, a woman writes a letter to depression. Through movement and dialogue, she breaks free and finds light and strength from within, realizing she wants there to be a tomorrow.

Senior Moment by Jack Chesla focuses on a senior couple that have a not-so-sweet solution to a potential package thief in town.

In Every Other Weekend by Mike Moring an all-too-brief weekend visit comes to an end and a father and son are each confronted by their own fear of the dark.

To view the rest of the line up click here.

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ReFrame Film Festival Releases Line-Up For 2022 Festival

ReFrame 2022 has released the full lineup of 71 social justice documentaries coming to this year’s virtual film festival which will run Jan. 27 - Feb. 4.

Wochiigii lo: End of the Peace. Directed by Heather Hatch. Photo courtesy of ReFrame Film Festival.

This years line up focuses on themes like food justice, art as resistance, climate change, and healthcare. The documentaries are made both by local and international filmmakers.

The 18th annual ReFrame Film Festival will be available for audiences to stream across Canada.

The Hands That Feed Us is a film that focuses on migrant farmworkers who work on farms, in greenhouses and processing plants throughout Canada. It was filmed in Milbrook.

Youth V Gov follows 21 activists from across the nation as they file a lawsuit against the United States. The case reveals evidence that the government has endangered their constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property by acting over six decades to create the climate crisis.

Daughter of A Lost Bird follows Kendra Mylnechuk, an adult Indigenous adoptee, born in 1980 at the cusp of the enactment of the Indian Child Welfare Act.

For a full list of films and descriptions click here.

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Gallery On The Lake In Buckhorn Will Close For Good This Week

Gallery On The Lake in Buckhorn will close for good on Friday.

Photo courtesy of Gallery On The Lake.

The Gallery was opened in 1983 by the late artist Edwin Mathews and printed and sold pieces.

After a successful decade in operation, two new owners took over and closed the gallery in 1997.

Esther Inglis and her husband Alan Hitchon purchased the site in 2000, and re-opened the Gallery on The Lake in 2002.

The Gallery became one of the country’s largest privately owned retail art galleries in the years it was operated by Inglis and Hitchon. They sought to showcase the works of artists from across Canada, ranging from sculptors, woodturners, jewellers and glass-blowers.

Inglis estimates that more than 250 artists were featured at the lakefront gallery during its two-decade run.

The property the Gallery sits on spans 4.5-acres. The property along with the 15,000-square-foot gallery building and 5,000-square-foot private residence, was purchased for a total of $2.8 million in late November.

The buyer will not be continuing The Gallery on The Lake.

The Gallery will remain open by appointment only from Monday to Friday.

An ongoing closing sale is offering discounted prices on artworks from 10 to 50 per cent and can be found on galleryonthelake.com.

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Art Gallery to Be Temporarily Closed While Undergoing Renovations

The Art Gallery of Peterborough will be closed to the public, while undergoing renovations, for the month of January beginning Jan. 3, 2022.

File Photo.

This closure will accommodate lighting improvements to the main gallery space and the installation of new exhibitions.

Online programming will continue on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Visit the Art Gallery’s website at www.agp.on.ca for digital programming, news and updates.

The Art Gallery’s holiday hours:

• December 23 to 26: Closed

• December 29 to 31: Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• January 1: Closed

• January 2: Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• January 3: Closed

Proof of vaccination is required to visit the gallery. To contact the gallery, phone 705-743-9179 or email gallery@agp.on.ca.

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